Orlando’s single five-star restaurant, Victoria and Albert’s at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, will be hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration dinner. The dinner will run from 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm with a chef and sommelier preparing an 8 – 10 course menu that includes caviar from around the world and a collection of some of the most eclectic and famous champagnes available. Chef Scott Hunnel and his team will also make personal appearances during the event.

In this new featurette for A Christmas Carol, we get a closer look at the working relationship between director Robert Zemeckis and the film’s star Jim Carrey and how they come together to produce their version of the holiday classic tale from Charles Dickens.

You’ve seen Seth Green being snuggled by an ape in the official trailer, now see how it all came to be in this internet-exclusive trailer which plays out more like an extended clip when Seth joins co-stars Robin Williams and John Travolta for a casual outing at the zoo.

As the leaves continue to change color, Tinktober rages on and it’s time for another contest! This time, Disney Interactive Studios has graciously provided us with five copies of the upcoming Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure video game for the Nintendo DS.

In Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, Tinker Bell’s greatest adventure yet takes place in Autumn, as the fairies are on the mainland changing the colors of the leaves, tending to pumpkin patches, and helping geese fly south for the winter. The rare Blue Moon will rise, and when its light passes through the magical Fall Scepter that Tinker Bell has been summoned to create, Pixie Hollow’s supply of pixie dust will be restored. But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right.

Via its YouTube channel, DisneyParks released a seven minute video which takes a look at some of the recent additions to the Walt Disney World resort such as the American Idol Experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It street show at the Magic Kingdom as well as an extended look at the Contemporary Resort, from its design and construction in 1971 through the introduction of the Bay Lake Tower DVC resort and the Treehouse Villas.

ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 20 — Disneyland Resort has won the 2009 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA), California’s highest and most prestigious environmental honor. The award recognizes individuals, organizations and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership for voluntary achievements in conserving California’s resources, protecting and enhancing the environment and building public-private partnerships. Governor Schwarzenegger recognized Disneyland Resort and 14 other GEELA recipients at a reception at the Governors’ Global Climate Summit 2 in Los Angeles on September 30.

“I applaud the Disneyland Resort for their wonderful commitment to our state’s commerce and environment. They are an inspiration to many and I thank them for their outstanding leadership,” said Governor Schwarzenegger.

“This honor recognizes Disneyland Resort’s ongoing commitment to developing socially responsible and environmentally friendly practices that promote environmental protection and economic growth,” said Frank Dela Vara, director of environmental affairs and conservation at Disneyland Resort. “We are proud of our commitment to exploring and implementing new technologies and practices that further the environmental legacy left by Walt Disney.”

Award recipients are chosen in 10 different categories based on their strength in eight specific areas including results, transferability, environmental impact, resource conservation, economic progress, innovation and uniqueness, pollution prevention and environmental justice. Disneyland received the award for several sustainable practices implemented at the Resort, including the environmentally conscientious efforts to refill the Paradise Bay at Disney’s California Adventure; the use of the Resort’s processed cooking oil to fuel its steam train locomotives; and the water and energy conservation features incorporated in the Resort’s new central bakery.

Using the same type of technology Disneyland debuted earlier this year in which visitors to the Disneyland.com website were able to bring a little bit of Fantasmic! into their living-rooms, site visitors with a webcam now have the ability to transform themselves into their favorite Disney villains. This video posted on the DisneyParks YouTube channel demonstrates the new interactive experience:

Valid only Monday through Fridays, the new Florida Resident Weekday Select Pass entitles the owner admission to all four theme parks for a year with occasional blockout periods. So far, these periods include: December 19, 2009 – January 1, 2010; March 27, 2010 – April 9, 2010; June 12, 2010 – August 19, 2010; and December 18, 2010 – January 1, 2011). The pass also entitles the owner to some Annual Passholder benefits such as a subscription to the Mickey Monitor newsletter and occasional special offers and discounts.

Yesterday, we reported on an upcoming ad campaign for the new ABC series ‘V.’ The campaign, which involves skywriting over the landmarks in several U.S. cities, has caught the angry eye of some environmental watchdogs-slash-tv critics such as Lisa de Moraes of The Washington Post. In her column today, de Moraes looks at some of the environmental cost of the new campaign, admitting it’s not the end of the world, but definitely calling out The Walt Disney Company as being somewhat hypocritical.

It’s also been barely a month since the environmental activist group Friends of the Earth issued a report card of major cruise lines, ranking Disney Cruise Line last, which you can read more about here.

NEW YORK – October 18, 2009—Disney Consumer Products (DCP) and renowned couture designer Kirstie Kelly are launching an exquisite gown inspired by Princess Tiana, Disney’s newest princess in more than ten years and the first African American Disney Princess character from the highly anticipated animated musical film, The Princess and the Frog. The Tiana gown will take its place in the phenomenally successful Kirstie Kelly for Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings line as the signature piece of an all new collection of bridal gowns. The new collection also includes the Snow White Diamond Edition gown, all new “Maidens” for bridesmaids, “Blossoms” for flower girls and a new line of fine jewelry with renowned jeweler Mouawad, each inspired by a Disney Princess character.